16 August 2006
IBM, Transitive increase Linux software options
IBM and Transitive are working together with a software program called QuickTransit. This software translates software designed for one computer to run on another. IBM's goal is to port Linux software used on x86 servers to IBM's Power-based servers. The software will ship as a test version sometime in the first quarter of 2007 with earlier test versions showing up in the last quarter or this year.
While Transitive will do all of the development on the software, IBM will handle the distribution, shipping it as a standard application on certain Power-based servers made by IBM.
Intel is also working with Transitive to let people port software from RISC chips to x86 chips.
Apple has built their Rosetta technology on this tool to allow older Mac software to run on their new Intel-based processors. Silicon Graphics as well uses it to help the migration process from older MIPS processors to Intel Itanium.
This software translates the software as it is loaded and run. To improve the speed some common instructions are stored in memory to prevent having to translate them every time they are needed. Of course working this way is not as fast as running it in the native environment. The most important aspect is still that it allows the software to actually run. So long as it isn't too slow, which seems that it's not as it is used in so many different situations even now.
With the combination of this and Wine, Linux should be able to run most any software. There goes the issue of people complaining that there isn't any software for Linux.
While Transitive will do all of the development on the software, IBM will handle the distribution, shipping it as a standard application on certain Power-based servers made by IBM.
Intel is also working with Transitive to let people port software from RISC chips to x86 chips.
Apple has built their Rosetta technology on this tool to allow older Mac software to run on their new Intel-based processors. Silicon Graphics as well uses it to help the migration process from older MIPS processors to Intel Itanium.
This software translates the software as it is loaded and run. To improve the speed some common instructions are stored in memory to prevent having to translate them every time they are needed. Of course working this way is not as fast as running it in the native environment. The most important aspect is still that it allows the software to actually run. So long as it isn't too slow, which seems that it's not as it is used in so many different situations even now.
With the combination of this and Wine, Linux should be able to run most any software. There goes the issue of people complaining that there isn't any software for Linux.
